Wise Words from a Wise Man
by pranavrustagi
Summary: Sōma had never been one to pay attention to his father's words, but entering his second year he starts to see the meaning behind a certain saying he had been told long ago. (Rated T for now, may change as I see where the story goes ;-;) (currently only Sorina, may have other pairings hinted at as the story goes on)
1. Chapter 1

_"Listen well, Sōma, the secret to becoming a great chef is... meeting a woman that will make you want to give all the food you make to her..."_

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Sōma had never been one to pay too much attention to his father's words... unless they involved cooking of course. But these words had left a resounding impact on him ever since they had been said over a year ago. Whether that was because his old man had muttered the words with an intensity he had never seen before, or because of the wistful look in his eyes as he had looked up towards the sky for a split second he did not know, but Sōma had been trying to figure out the meaning of those words ever since.

Sōma, along with all the friends and rivals he had made through the Autumn Elections, the Moon Banquet and of course the Regiment de Cuisine, had now progressed onto their second year, and he knew this year would be no short of challenges, whether in the form of Shoukugeki's or the ever-present risk of expulsion from the grueling culinary course at Totsuki high, but what he hadn't been expecting emotional challenges, especially concerning a certain blonde-haired, purple cat-eyed princess.

As Sōma trudged towards the main school building after parking his small bike, he steeled himself, mentally preparing himself for the year ahead before walking into the assembly hall confidently, a certain air of confidence surrounding the newly crowned 1st Seat of Totsuki's Elite Ten. As he walked into the hall, he took a look around the students who had managed to graduate the first year at Totsuki. While he hadn't really paid attention to any of the students outside of the Rebel group, he could see a large number of the students he had seen at the first assembly of last year were gone.

Most of the students had already filed themselves into lines starting from the stage backward, so Sōma skirted around the side of the group to make his way towards the Elite Ten area. As he approached the group, his fellow 2nd years began to berate his lax attitude as he had gotten used to over the past year.

"Sōma-kun, where have you been?! Nakiri-san was looking so angry you weren't here, I was worried about your safety!" Tadokoro said to Sōma with a fearful look on her face, "Well, it's good you're here now, I think it's customary for the 1st seat to give a small speech at every first assembly," she said with a small sigh as she thought back to Sōma's infamous speech when he had first joined the academy.

"It's fine Tadokoro, don't worry about me," Sōma said with his usual laid-back tone, "Nakiri doesn't scare me, never has!" he said as he fiddled with the bandanna wrapped around his wrist. "Besides, I'm basically a pro at giving speeches after my declaration last year, and I kept the promise I made to my old man and the rest of the school," he said with a crooked grin.

 _Honestly, I've never managed to understand how he can stay so relaxed all the time. He's like the complete opposite to me!_ Tadokoro thought as she listened intently to Sōma.

"… And now that I've finished briefing you all on the main components of this year, your new 1st seat will give you all some words," Erina said confidently into the microphone. No one except the Elite 10 had dared to speak during her speech, in fear of what could happen to them if they got onto the new Headmistresses' bad side so early into the new year. "Let's just hope he doesn't cause as much trouble as he did last year," she muttered as she walked down the steps of the stage.

"Hey Nakiri, thanks for the great introduction!" Sōma exclaimed to Erina as he passed her on his way to the microphone, a cocky grin gracing his features as per usual, "You know I heard what you just said," he said in a _much_ lower voice, moving closer to her now stationary figure.

"Hm-hmph, I have no idea what you're talking about!" She shouted at him, trying to create some sort of distance from the redhead, a blush creeping its way onto her cheeks. "Anyway, I hope you have something good to say. Wouldn't want to be threatening your 1st seat position so early would we?" She told him, feeling a little braver to stand up to his antics as she moved her figure slightly towards his in return.

"Man, you never fail to fire me up Nakiri! I've got no intention of losing this position, especially considering I still need to get you to say a few words for me." He was going to get flustered at her sudden change in behavior, but he knew he couldn't let her win.

"And what exactly would those words be, diner boy?" She said cockily, flipping her hair over her shoulder as the Totsuki princess had been known to do for years now.

"Come on, you know exactly what both me and you have been wanting you to say for a while now, E-ri-na," he had almost been caught in a trance when she had flipped her hair, but he had no clue why. After all, he'd seen it a thousand times before, why was he feeling so flustered all of a sudden?

Neither of the two had realized the entirety of the Torsion 2nd years had been staring intently at the interaction between the headmistress and the 1st seat, and a sudden voice on the microphone pulled both students out of their little bubble.

"Honestly, you two should just get a room already. We're all waiting to go home, so Yukihira-kun please get this over with already," Alice spoke with disinterest, but Erina could sense the slightest bit of mischief in her words, and after reading all those shoujo mangas she knew exactly why.

Sōma on the other hand was completely clueless as to what Alice had meant. "Huh, wonder what Alice is talking about. Does she mean a kitchen, because I'd gladly take you on in a shoukugeki Nakir."

Erina broke out of her flustered state caused by her cousin's words and gave Sõma a shove towards the stage. "Clearly, you're denser than I thought. Just get up there already!"

* * *

Sõma wasn't used to feeling clueless, and quite frankly, he didn't really enjoy it. Had the rest of the hall been as confused as he was, perhaps he wouldn't have minded. Instead, almost the whole of the Totsuki second-year student body was busy laughing their heads off at Alice's supposed funny comment, while Sõma was left to wonder what on Earth was going on.

 _Honestly, what the hell did she mean by getting a room? Even Erina seems to understand the joke, but I don't get what's so funny about what the other half of the Nakiris said. Man, maybe I'll have to call my annoying old man later._ Sõma was stuck in thought as he slowly made his way up the stairs to see his fellow students still stuck in their laughing fits.

"Eh-hem. As you all probably know, my name's Yukihira Sõma, your new Elite Ten 1st seat. While at last year's assembly I had a bold proclamation to give to everyone already in mind, I don't really have anything particular to say to you all. To anyone who was part of the Central group and still managed to graduate, I hope there are no hard feelings between us Rebels and all of you. To those who challenged me to Shoukugekis over the summer and lost, I again hope for no hard feelings.

The only way for us to improve our cooking skills further is through competition, and if a day comes where someone beats me, I will step down from my seat with pride knowing I fought to the best of my ability. And finally, to my fellow members of the Rebel group. We had a tough time last year fighting against Azami-senpai and the former Elite Ten's regime, but we managed to overcome the obstacle presented to us through our cooking skill. If there's one person we can all thank, it's none other than our new headmistress Nakiri Erina, and I hope everyone in the audience understands all she has done and will continue to do for the benefit of our school.

One last thing. My father, as some of you may know as an absolute nutcase, told me something a while back. It didn't seem significant back then, but ever since I've spent my time thinking over his words. I didn't really understand what he was trying to say, but I know it was important. So, I'm just going to ask you guys to keep challenging me, keep pushing both my and your cooking abilities further towards perfection, because this is the only way I know to get closer to my goals.

Anyways, that's been me, your 1st seat, I look forward to the Shoukugeki challenges coming my way over the next year. Let's all do our best!" After flashing his famous grin at the crowd, he begins to walk down the stage with the audience giving him a huge round of applause.

 _Man, that was stressful. Didn't think I'd end up talking about dad but I guess his words really have been on my mind a lot lately. I still need to know what he meant, and I know he'd never tell me even if I managed to beat him in a battle._ As he was walking down the stairs, his Polar Star friends wanted to talk to him but noticing the normally bouncy boy deep in thought, they gave him his space. _Maybe I should talk to Tadokoro about it, she is my best friend after all._

With a plan in mind, Sõma absentmindedly walked out of the hall and mounted his bike before anyone could initiate a conversation with him. He really needed to talk to someone about this and fast, or he knew his cooking could suffer. Getting out at the Polar Star dormitory, he heard a commotion inside the building.

 _Huh, weird. Everyone else should be on their way back, and there's no way in hell Fumio-san has actual friends to invite over. I wonder what's going on._ Parking his bike next to the door, Sõma knocked on the door and was met with none other than the man he had been hoping to talk to;

His father.

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Hey guys, sorry about the changes I've made to the story over the last couple of hours ':) I was planning on just posting the prologue today but got oddly excited after posting my first fic ever and it evolved from 200 words to close to 2000 words. For anyone who's followed, thank you so much and I'm so glad you've taken an interest in this weird little piece of writing I've started. I'm in my second last year of high school, but exams are a few months away so you can expect regular updates, at least for the time being. A special thank you to writer LauryRose who's been a huge help in getting me on my feet after starting this and giving me some basic ideas that helped me write this stuff down in the first place. Check out 'Misunderstanding' which is arguably one of the best SoRina fics on the site 3 Anyways, endless gratitude aside thanks again for checking this out and I hope you all stick around for the chapters to come


	2. Chapter 2

**A soul gone, with memories left behind**

 **A/N** Hello again, happy to see everyone who's stuck around for another chapter 3 this chapter will probably be a lot longer than the last one as I want it to be kinda serious. As usual, if you have any feedback (good or bad) please leave a review and feel free to follow/favourite if you're enjoying the story so far. This chapter will continue right where the first one left off, so go back and read the last few paragraphs in case you've forgotten where we were;-;

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"D-dad?!" Sõma had been expecting to see Fumio-san running around the dorm chasing a few mice, but hadn't been expecting to see his father, Chef Dojima and Senzaemon, Erina's grandfather, standing further down the hall. "Why'd you always turn up without giving any notice," Sõma muttered with a hint of annoyance mixed in his words as he looked up at the former 2nd seat.

"Come on in son, just take a seat first," Joichiro moved to the side as Sõma walked inside hesitantly, noticing some other Totsuki alumni sitting further inside the building. He could also see smoke coming from the kitchen, and heard some oddly familiar voices coming from inside. "After all, from your speech it would seem we have much to discuss," he said with a grin. While Sõma had a famous smile, nothing could beat the original, and the knowing tone his father was using was really getting on the boy's nerves.

"Shut UP old man, how do you even know what happened in there?" Sõma was pissed off to say the least; after all, he had wanted to talk to his dad _after_ talking about his problems with Tadokoro and getting to think about everything first.

"Come on son, Senzaemon-dono needed to know what was going on during the assembly, considering it was Erina-chan's first appearance in front of students as the new headmistress."

He couldn't place it, but something was annoying Sõma. A lot. Whether it was the fact that his father had turned up out of the blue, or that his old man was giving him a look saying _I know something that you don't_ or the weird way his father emphasised Nakiri's name; he didn't know, but Sõma was irritated.

"Why are so many people here though?" Sõma had begun to walk towards the kitchen, passing a silent greeting to Senzaemon and Dojima as he passed them in the hallway. "Don't you guys have work or have you decided to lay back now that I'm the new first seat?" even though he was annoyed, Sõma couldn't help but poke some fun at his dad. They may have some serious interactions, but their relationship was very friendly and nothing could change that.

"Well Sõma-kun, we figured since you've now been crowned the 1st seat we should have a little celebration, no? After all, a lot of chefs have been watching you since you joined last year, and climbing to the 1st seat at the end of your first year at Totsuki is no small feat," Dojima had begun to walk over to Sõma and Joichiro with Senzaemon, and was now looking at the young redhead.

"Come on senpai, don't make it seem like more than it was," Sõma had moved his hands behind his head and was rubbing his neck sheepishly. "I had to make sure my friends didn't get expelled, and besides until I beat my old man, I don't care what else I achieve. Well, that and getting Nakiri to _finally_ admit my food is delicious." Although beating his father had been his goal ever since he had started cooking, impressing Erina had somehow become just as important to him, although he had no clue why.

 _Come to think of it, she's been on my mind a lot lately. Although, she was the main person who helped us beat Central, so it's probably just that._ Sõma was hoping to get an answer to all these confusing answers from his father later on.

"Well, seems like Erina-chan really is important to you eh, Sõma?" Joichiro began to ruffle his son's hair as he looked over to Senzaemon with a twinkle in his eyes. "Seems like he's getting closer and closer to beating me, eh?"

"Wh-what do you mean important? She's just a friend old man! And stop messing up my hair for god's sake," and he was back to being annoyed. His dad really knew how to push his buttons. "Besides, how is she related to me getting nearly as good as you?" Although his dad had been annoying him, Sõma had still listened carefully to what the older man had said, and he was confused to say the least.

"Well, that's what we're all here to talk to you about Sõma-kun. But, all in good time son. For now, let's all just head inside and enjoy a night of cooking, TOTSUKI STYLE!" Senzaemon had proceeded to rip his robes off in customary Nakiri fashion at the beautiful smell coming from the kitchen, which Sõma had picked up on earlier. Sõma watched on with an amused look on his face as Dojima's shirt were also removed through the infamous 'Gifting' power.

 _Must be some really good food cooking inside. I wonder who the chef is? This smell's getting me fired up for a Shoukugeki though!_ As one to never back down from a challenge, witnessing the Gifting power in full effect had riled Sõma up, even though he had been meaning to talk to his father just a few minutes prior.

Just as the small group had begun to advance towards the kitchen, the other Polar Star members along with their usual group of friends came through the door. Sõma turned around in surprise, a smile swiftly settling on his face as he watched his best friends going about their usual antics.

"Hey S- Sõma-kun."

"Yukihira, today is the day I will FINALLY beat you. Your first seat is mine for the taking!"

"Yo Marui, hope your room's ready for another PARTY!"

As his friends continued on with their normal bickering, Sõma couldn't help but notice someone was missing. Looking over the group again, his suspicions were confirmed as he noted the lack of a certain blonde-haired princess.

 _Huh, Hisako and Alice are both here, where the hell did she go?_ Sõma found himself confused at his very frequent thoughts about her, but again blamed them on the fact that she was a new friend. _After all, I think about Tadokoro a lot, and she's just my friend. Then again, I can't help but be slightly worried. Maybe I'll talk to Hisako later when she's alone._ Satisfied with his plan, Sõma turned back round to the elders he had been conversing with before, as they led him into the kitchen, friends following closely behind them to the source of the beautiful smell. As they walked eagerly inside, their imaginations about the food were interrupted by a very irritated French voice.

"Hinako, would you STOP being such a clutz!"

"Fuyumi-chan SAAAAAAAAAAAVE ME!"

The shocked looks on everyone's faces were quickly replaced with shaking of heads and grins. The tall redhead was angrily pushing the younger chef away from the dish laid out before him, and everyone burst into laughter when Hinako started grabbing the older bluenette by her hair in an attempt to get away from Shinomiya. It seemed a Shoukugeki had taken place in the students' absence, and the French cuisine master seemed to have won judging by the smug look painted across his face, hints of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Master, I didn't expect to see you here!" Sõma was ecstatic that his senpai/teacher had come to visit the dorm, and knew that he could learn even more about French cuisine from the older redhead. Plus, he was excited to challenge the chef again, seeing as he was now the First Seat of the academy and wanted to prove himself yet again to the older man. "How is the Tokyo restaurant doing?"

"Ah, Yukihira. I must say, when I beat you and shrimp over here," Shinomiya gestured to Tadokoro who had been in deep conversation with Hinako about their latest dishes, "I didn't expect you'd end up becoming the First Seat. Guess the skill of the academy's chefs really has gone down over the years, eh?" Poking fun at the younger chef had always amused Shinomiya, however Sõma responded swiftly and surprisingly confidently.

"Master, if that's the case, how about another Shoukugeki? I may have lost last time, but I think I stand a fair chance against you now after the Regiment de Cuisine." He flashed a grin at the older chef, causing a vein to visibly pop near the other man's forehead. "What happened Master, scared you've already been surpassed?" Sõma unwrapped the bandanna from his wrist and tied it around his head, ready to take on the older chef in a battle he had been preparing for for a long time.

"Don't get cocky now Yukihira, no matter what position in the Elite Ten you hold I shall always be able to present better food than you." Shaking his head slightly, Shinomiya scolded himself for getting so easily worked up at the younger redhead's words.

"Well Shinomiya, as much as I believe this will be a one sided battle, I still think Sõma-kun here deserves a rematch from all that time ago. It's nearly been a year after all since the Training Camp, I'm sure he's improved." Dojima smiled down at the 1st seat, belief in his eyes similar to what he had during the camp when Sõma had first challenged the Totsuki alumnus. "Well, considering the number of people we have here, I think we should have an equal number of judges for each match, no? Considering this Shoukugeki is between the current and former 1st seats, Senzaemon-dono can choose the judges for this match."

Confused at the older man's words, Sõma looked around the kitchen to see small groups scattered around the various cooking stations. Whether between students, or between student and alumnus, everyone seemed to have gotten involved in their own Shoukugekis, and Sõma was getting even more fired up.

"Don't go easy on me, Master. I've been preparing a new dish ever since the Stagiaire to show you how much I've improved!" Megumi felt a chill run down her spine after hearing this, recalling all the disgusting dishes Sõma had made her try over the last few months in an attempt to better understand different cuisines. Although she had to admit, the final product of all his experimenting had been nothing short of delicious.

"Well, seeing as the judges have been decided for each match, let the Shoukugekis BEGIN!"

"You put up quite the fight, kiddo." Joichiro looked at his tired son with nothing but pride in his eyes. He poked a lot of fun at the boy, and Joichiro knew there were many times when he could've been a better father. And yet, seeing Sõma give his all to cooking like Joichiro himself had many years ago, his mind couldn't help but wander to Sõma's mother, the love of Joichiro's life, and a beautiful woman who had left the world too early.

Walking like this, with his son's head resting on his shoulder, Joichiro could almost see his wife in him. His looks, his drive, his talent; Joichiro was so thankful to her. It wasn't like him to reminisce, but he let his thoughts roam freely as he stared at the Polar Star gardens the two had been walking through. _Hey Akiko, you think I did a good job? Of raising our son, teaching him how to cook, how to love, how to do everything you showed me how to do? He looks exactly like you. Acts the same as you used to as well. He's so stubborn and resilient I worry sometimes, but I know there's nothing to worry about. I know you'll look after him, like you did for me._

Sõma, on the other hand, was completely knackered. After losing yet again to Shinomiya, Sõma had been challenged by all the other alumni present as well as his father, and the long string of defeats had left him completely drained by the end of the night. He knew the party was still going strong inside, thanks almost solely to Ryoko's trusty rice juice, but he had wanted to spend some time alone with his father.

Thinking back, Sõma realised that he and his father hadn't spent much time together (except while cooking) since his mother had passed away. Because of how busy Sõma had been with trying to defeat Central over the past few weeks, he hadn't had much time to think about his mum, but he felt his mind wandering to the framed family photo on the main wall of the Yukihira restaurant. It was an old photo, and hadn't been taken on the best camera, but it was a photo Sõma had almost ingrained in his memory. The bright smile on both of his parents' faces as they looked lovingly at the child they were holding between them, and the newly renovated Yukihira restaurant in the background.

The photo had always been important to his father, and Sõma had often caught glimpses of his dad looking at the photo on the wall for a few minutes during his daily routine. As such, it had become natural for Sõma to do so as well, and now the photo was something Sõma made sure to look at every time he visited the old restaurant. Thinking about his mother, Sõma realised how similar she looked to one of his friends. Stopping in the middle of the path, Joichiro turned around to face his son.

"All good Sõma? Don't tell me those Shoukugeki losses have gotten you down?"

"Nah dad, it's not that. I just realised, Nakiri looks really similar to mum don't you think?" He had no clue what had compelled him to say his thought out loud, and Sõma tensed his face, preparing for his dad to poke fun at him as usual. However, looking up Sõma saw Joichiro looking up towards the stars, and Sõma couldn't help but think back to the train journey where Sõma had said the stars looked like salmon roe.

 _Man, I really can't stop thinking about her, can I? I really need to get some advice from dad about what's going on with me lately._

After looking at the sky for a few moments, Joichiro said, "You been thinking about her too, eh?" Sõma noticed how his dad's voice sounded almost ten times softer than before, as he had come to notice every time they talked about his mother.

"Yeah, I mean it'll be 10 years this year, huh? You think she'd be proud of me, dad?" Sõma had felt some tears start to surface as they started talking about his mum, a topic the two hadn't discussed for at least a few years now. But he knew that this conversation was important, so he wiped away the droplets forming near his eyes as he waited for his dad to respond.

"Really has been a while, hasn't it? You know, she wouldn't just be proud of you." Joichiro had started to walk towards his son, as he poured out all the sorrow and regret and guilt in his heart in one sentence. "She'd be the proudest mum of them all, Sõma **."**

While Sõma had planned to not cry, hearing these words from his dad, his idol, broke the dam. He slowly walked towards his father, tears beginning to stream down both men's cheeks as Sõma nearly collapsed onto his dad's form, long withheld tears flowing as father and son comforted each other in a loving hug. While the two weren't particularly in favour of physical contact in their relationship, they found that this topic always brought them together, Sõma's mother's attributes impacting them even ten years after her passing.

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 **A/N** Aaaaaand cut. i was planning to cut the chapter before mentioning Sõma's mum, but I felt like this chapter needed some emotion or it would've just been a party chapter which isn't really what I'm looking to write for this fic. Rest assured, Sõma's mum will be covered next chapter, as well as the long-awaited talk about Erina and Sõma's feelings. Next chapter will also feature Erina, I'm soooooo sorry she wasn't in this chapter but I have something planned for her character which I think you guys will enjoy. Anyways, as usual feel free to leave any feedback (I know this is repeated but feedback helps me survive :p next chapter can be expected to be up by the end of the week, and I think it'll be going past 4k words so BE PREPARED anyways, see you guys next time 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Choosing What to Follow**

 **A/N** Hey everyone, sorry for the delay, I've been really caught up in school lately and have had next to no time to write. However, here I am ready to present another chapter! One thing I really want you guys' opinion on is quotes. I really want to start incorporating quotations from my favourite books and songs into my writing, but I don't know if it will disrupt the flow of the story, so let me know what you guys think about it in a review or PM's. I do my best to reply to reviews/messages as quickly and in as much detail in possible. There'll be more notes at the end, so for now I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter!

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It was cold.

Stepping out of the private jet, she immediately noticed the chilly breeze passing over her skin, and she pulled the long fur jacket she was wearing even closer to her pale skin.

 _I'm already so damn nervous, and it's so cold here too. This trip really couldn't get any worse._ Walking down the stairs and onto the runway, the young woman was glad to feel solid ground beneath her feet as she did a once-over of her surroundings. After all her travelling, the girl had never once visited America, and she was _really_ annoyed that her promise of never visiting the country needed to be broken.

Heading towards the car that was waiting for her, she pulled out her phone after hearing a slight vibration. Bringing the phone to her ear, she was startled by an all too familiar voice screaming down the other end.

"ERINA-SAMA! Are you okay? Was the flight service suitable? Did you get all your luggage? Is your car there yet?"

The pink-haired girl's questions continued on endlessly, as the blonde chuckled slightly to herself. She was glad her friend cared for her so much, and the voice which was still screaming through the phone had greatly helped the blonde calm her nerves, even if only slightly. After Hisako had finished her rant, there was one question she had left. Speaking with a much softer voice, she asked her friend,

"Erina-sama, why did you break your promise?"

Erina knew the question was coming, and she had no right to avoid answering the question. Hisako was her best friend after all, and there weren't many things the blonde could keep hidden from the clever pinkette. However, this question was something she couldn't answer, at least not for now.

"Hisako, I'm afraid I can't tell you just yet. Everything will be explained to you, Alice and grandfather when I return. As for all of your worries, I assure you everything is fine here, the journey was comfortable as always and the car is already here. I shall look forward to my return to Japan which, if everything goes as planned, should be in the next few days. See you soon, Hisako."

Not wanting to show any signs of weakness or nervousness, the princess cut the phone swiftly after finishing her sentence as she steeled herself for the days to come. She knew this would be difficult, and without any friends or family with her she really didn't know how she would get through this. But, there were things she needed to know. Conversations about topics and people that hadn't been brought up in years needed to be surfaced so they could be concluded once and for all. And she, Nakiri Erina, was determined to achieve her goals.

* * *

"Hey dad, why'd you guys call me Sõma?" The father and son pair had cried all the tears they had pent up over the years, and with the moon shining brightly among the stars above the Totsuki grounds, Sõma decided now was the time he discussed his feelings with his old man.

"Eh, where'd that come from? But, if you have to know, it was your mum's choice. We had been sitting on the restaurant roof, I think she was around 7 months in with you. The wind was blowing, and she thought it would be a nice name. Ya know, I don't think she'd ever looked as beautiful as she did that day, hair swaying and her hand on her belly. She really loved you, even before you were born, she knew you'd be something special. Look where you are now, eh?" Looking down at his son with nothing but pride in his eyes, Sõma smiled with happiness Joichiro hadn't seen in a long time.

"I just wish we had more time with her, you know? She was only around for 5 years of my life, but it feels like she's been here the whole time." Reaching up to the scar on his eyebrow, the young chef chuckled slightly. "Remember how I got this, old man? Mum was so annoyed at me, she didn't talk to me for the next few days!"

"That knife had been so special to her, but you just had to go and stab yourself with it. Honestly, you were such a clutz back then me and your mum didn't think you had any hope at becoming a chef." Thinking back to memories the family had made, Joichiro felt at peace. Like all the stress that had built up since her death was going away, even if slowly. He had been told by Senzaemon and Dojima that keeping in the sorrow he had felt over her death was bad, but he had never listened to them. Realising now that his son had felt just as sad, he wanted to share all the happy memories he had made with her with Sõma.

"Ya know, your mum was probably one of the worst chefs I've ever seen. When I had been travelling, I stumbled upon the Yukihira diner which her and her family ran. There hadn't been many customers inside, but the smell coming from the kitchen was so nice I had to go and try some of the food. I walked inside, and I saw her for the first time. She had her Yukihira apron on, but instead of cooking she had been serving the customers. Her mum had been shouting at her, and Akiko had the most deadpan look on her face. She had seen me entering the restaurant, and I swear to you when she came to take my order, I didn't say anything for at least half a minute!"

Hearing his dad talk so carefreely about his mother after not even mentioning her for so long made Sõma happy beyond words. For years now, him and Joichiro had avoided the topic of Akiko in fear of raising emotions and thoughts that they thought were better kept to themselves. But now that they both knew it had been almost 10 years since she had passed, both men knew they should talk about her. It felt like they had been betraying her memory, and talking about the memories the two had made with the woman felt like breaking a dam neither chef knew had built up in the first place.

The father and son pair talked about trips to different countries with Akiko, of creating new dishes for the restaurant after Akiko and Joichiro inherited the family diner following their marriage, and of how much both men missed the woman. How she had become something so essential to them that both Sõma and Joichiro had felt lost after her passing. And now, with the time drawing closer to midnight and the start of a new day, Sõma thought he should bring up what had really been plaguing his mind over the last year.

"Hey dad, there's something I want to ask you." His voice had started quiet, almost hesitant at first. But Sõma composed himself mentally, knowing this had to be discussed here and now. "What did you mean when you told me the secret to becoming a good chef? I've been thinking about it ever since you said it to me last year, but I can't for the life of me figure out what you meant. Every day since I joined Totsuki I worked on getting better at a chef, at getting closer to beating you, but I need to know what you meant last year. Please, dad."

"It's really that time, eh? Well Akiko, I think we've left him in suspense for long enough. Alright Sõma, I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything, starting from the beginning."

* * *

The car came to a halt. Quite abruptly, she had to admit. The ride had been quite pleasant actually, considering how nervous the Nakiri heiress had been for its duration. Quickly thanking the driver and stepping out of the vehicle, Erina took her time to look over the building that loomed over her.

To say she was scared was an understatement, for while on every occasion before this he had come to look for her, Erina was here seeking him out.

Him, being her father.

Erina had never been a particularly curious child, always preferring to go with what she was told and not really ask too many questions. After all, Nakiri business was incredibly confidential, and having a four year old know about business plans was hardly a good decision. This nature had stuck with the princess long after childhood, and even now that she was halfway into her teenage years, the girl tried not to pry too much into any situation. However, something had been on her mind a lot. Especially after her father's return to Japan.

What happened to her mother?

The Nakiri family was so prestigious after all. How was it possible for her mother, who had been a Nakiri by blood, to seemingly disappear into thin air, almost as if she never existed. Erina's last memory of her mother was barely even a memory, more like traces of voices and a faint blur of a purple dress, but except that she had nothing to go off. No pictures, no conversations with her grandfather about the woman or with any close business partners who often came to visit the Nakiri mansion. While the young blonde had thought no better of it when she was younger, the issue had been on the chef's mind for a while now, and she knew she had to talk to her father about it.

So here she was, standing outside the building that her father, the man who had made her childhood miserable and had threatened to ruin the live's of her best friends, was residing in. She tried to compose herself, calm the nerves that had been building ever since she called for her pilot to fly her to America, and began thinking of some sort of plan of action. What should she say to him, what could she ask him without letting the man know too much about her. Erina had tried to keep a distance from her father since the Regiment de Cuisine, and this small question did not give any reason for Erina to let the man into her private life.

Walking into the building with a confident look on her face, she was met with shocked faces, all the staff recognizing the young girl. Smiling slightly to herself, she requested to see the man and was immediately lead towards the elevator by one of the staff. After reaching the top floor of the building, Erina almost froze. All the composure she had managed to attain before exiting the lift was gone, as she slowly moved her eyes from one corner of the room to the other. All along the hallway leading towards a grand set of double doors were photos, which had been exquisitely framed.

As the young blonde observed each photo, her shock seemed to multiply. There were family photos with Erina, her father and who she assumed was her mother happily smiling at the camera; photos of her father with Joichiro and Dojima back at the Polar Star dorm in what she could only assume were Shokugekis; and as she walked further towards the door, she saw something which shook her to the core. Her father and her mother were sitting at a table with none other than Joichiro and a woman she could only assume as his wife, with two babies sitting on either mother's laps. Moving closer to the photo, she recognized the blonde as herself, sitting happily in the brunette's lap while a baby with spiky red hair sat in her mother's arms playing with what looked like squid.

Erina's brain was in overdrive, thoughts running absolutely everywhere. First and most importantly, there were indeed photos of her mother, they were just all in Azami's possession. The second thing she noted, was that her and Sõma seemed to have met each other in their very early childhood, and by the looks of things the two families were very close. This confused the God's Tongue holder, as when she had seen Sõma at the start of their first year in Totsuki High, she had very faintly recognized his red hair. She also thought back to when she had been staying at the Polar Star dorm, and the number of times she thought she had recognized his actions during his cooking. While the blonde had pegged those pangs of recognition on Sõma's heritage as her idol's son, she now thought there could've been more to those moments than her memory had let on.

Erina was brought back out of her thoughts by the sound of the door opening, and the man Erina thought she would never see again was standing in the doorway, his hair still held in the same style as when she had last seen him a few weeks ago. He looked exactly the same as he had then, except Erina noted the small bags under the man's eyes, perhaps from fatigue after his plans to take over the Culinary World had been foiled by the Rebels. The man looked up towards Erina, and his look seemed to soften slightly as he said to her:

"I assume you've seen the photos already?"

"I... I have father. And I need to know. I need you to explain what happened to me father, please."

"Come inside then, Erina. It seems we indeed have much to discuss."

* * *

 **A/N** Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, cut. Christ that took a while, I've rewritten this chapter at least 3 times over from scratch trying to keep an ample balance between both Erina and Sõma and between thoughts and speech. I know the story is now officially going off canon, but I've always wanted to explore the depths of Erina and Sõma's families and I thought what better way to do that than have both teens discuss the issue with their fathers, and at the same time no less! Anyways, I'm really fucking tired so I'm going to upload this and try and get what rest I can before school resumes tomorrow. Again, sorry for the longish wait but I think you guys would've been more annoyed at the quality of the chapter if I uploaded one of the earlier versions. Leave any feedback below, and I hope to see you guys next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Dealing with a Lost Past**

 **A/N** First and foremost, thank you to everyone who's reviewed lately. Reviews keep me alive and wanting to write for this almost hopeless series (read the manga if you don't know what I'm talking about) and all of your kind words are really keeping me motivated to write, write well, and write fast. This chapter is incredibly long, at least compared to anything I've written before, and discusses issues which some may find a bit sensitive (parent deaths). I've done my best to think of ways for both mothers to pass away as to sort of fit into the canon, but the story is officially non-canon now, even in terms of what events occur between characters. Anyways, there'll be a few more words at the end, so let's get into the story. Enjoy!

* * *

Sõma didn't know if his jaw had ever dropped as low as it was now. There were thoughts running around in his head, and a lot of them. Mainly though, he could only think about two things. _Either, my old man's insane and all the travelling has finally screwed up his brain. That, or he's telling the truth… It can't be true though! Nakiri practically hates me… Yeah, it can't be true. There's no way!_

"Hey Sõma, you look pretty flustered over there." His dad had a playful smirk decorating his face, and his eyes had a mischievous look to them. "I mean, it's not that hard to believe is it? You too already act like you're married, and this should help explain why to both of you."

"Shut up old man, we barely count as friends. I'm pretty sure she hates me; with a passion, at that. And besides, none of this makes any sense. All the photos we have at home are just of me, mum and you, so where'd all the photos with the Nakiris go?"

"Sõma, I'm sure you noticed that sometimes I'd just sit in my room for a while, right? Or when I'd be staring at my phone wordlessly for minutes at a time? Well, the photos are all with me, and that rascal Azami. We didn't want either of you two to have to remember what had happened that night, so we decided it was better if all records of our families' meetings were kept away from you. And besides, I can see you're already seeing the possibilities of this." Joichiro could see in his son's eyes that the loose ends were slowly coming together.

"I mean, I guess it does explain… some things," Sõma said while still in deep thought. He thought back to when Senzaemon had visited Sõma after Azami had first arrived at Totsuki, and how the Food Demon had said to him that he was the only one who could save Erina. The young redhead had thought back then that this meant Senzaemon believed in his cooking ability, but now he could see a much deeper meaning behind those words. "But dad, you're being completely serious right? Like, this all really happened?"

"Indeed Sõma, this all happened not too many years ago. And, after hearing from Senzaemon where Erina recently flew off to, I'm betting she's just been told the same thing from her dad."

"Wait dad, she's not meant to meet him! Especially not so soon." Sõma's mind was running at the speed of light, and he was more worried than he thought he had ever been before. "She… she'll have a break down again, or she'll start panicking and be vulnerable to senpai's word-!"

"Kid, you need to calm down." The older chef tried to console his frantic son. "This was all going to happen eventually, and I know Azami well enough to know that he won't be trying anything with her. Especially since me and Dojima know that she is with him. Trust me, Erina-chan will be fine." Joichiro couldn't help but feel proud of his son; even after spending nearly all his time cooking his friends were still so important to the young boy.

"O-okay, if you're sure. I just, I can't help but worry for her. No matter how rude or annoying she is to me, it's like I… Oh I don't know. All these feelings are turning my head inside out old man!" Sõma was frustrated, to say the least, and now that his dad was finally here and Sõma was feeling a lot lighter after talking about his mum, the young redhead wanted to set his feelings straight. "I can't help but feel like what you told me that day is related to Erina, but I don't know how. Or why."

"Man, and here I was thinking my son would grow up to have half a brain. Akiko, I think we expected too much of him!" Like Sõma, Joichiro was also feeling happier now. Almost like a burden he hadn't noticed had been lifted off his shoulders, finally allowing him to talk about the late woman. As such, the Totsuki dropout had decided to tease his son until the young boy's face turned the same colour as his hair out of pure rage.

"Come on old man, I'm being honest here. I got no clue what's going on in my stupid head, and all of it revolves around that blonde princess." Sõma needed to understand why the young headmistress was setting his feelings in a whirl but was rapidly growing impatient because of his father's insistence to annoy him. "I need your help; because I'm worried my cooking is going to start suffering if I don't get this stuff straight soon."

"Alright alright. I'll stop beatin' around the bush. Truth is, there's not much for me to explain son. I told you how I felt about your mum when we first met, all the way until she went away, right?"

"I mean yeah, but that was you two, and you guys were like 'crazily in love with each other' or whatever, right?" Sõma had said the word crazily while miming inverted commas, and the old man laughed at his gesture heartily. _Man, kids these days really are too focused on their goals._ Joichiro couldn't help but pity his son's lack of understanding slightly. "You two loved each other like no other, but me and Nakiri? She wants to get me expelled dad!"

"I don't think you're looking deep enough son. Remember when you two took down Central? That smile she gave you? Senzaemon told me he hadn't seen her smile like that since the last time our families were together. And that was nearly 10 years ago! You really gonna try tell me there isn't more to your relationship than that?" Joichiro was almost certain the two young chefs had caught feelings for each other, but having spent their whole lives after the accident devoted to cooking, didn't know how to approach the change in thought about the other person. And the old man was damn determined to set his son's feelings straight.

"I… I don't know dad. I'm not used to all of this 'romance' stuff, so I don't know if what I'm feeling is the same thing you're talking about, ya know? Let's be honest, she was probably grateful that Central had been taken down, and that she didn't have to see Azami-senpai anymore. There's so many other times where me and her have had moments, but there's no way I can know if-"

"Sõma, you need to calm down. You're not going about this the right way, ya hear? When I told your mum how I felt about her, I had no proof she felt the same way. There's never going to be any way of knowing for certain if the person you like feels the same way about you. Love's a gamble, and nothing can change that. But you know how you feel, and you need to come face to face with those feelings and get them out in the open!"

"That's the thing though, old man! I don't know how I feel about her! I'm new to all of this, and now that you've told me all these things about my history with her, how am I meant to feel sure about this stuff? And I… I'm scared, I guess? What if she doesn't like me? What if there's some rich snob that Nakiri likes because he's known throughout all the culinary world and their family owns a world-famous restaurant that everyone knows about? I can't compete with that, can I? I don't have any of those things dad!"

Joichiro was about to say something when a familiar voice called out to the two men from inside the dorm. "Saiba-senpai, Sõma-kun! The alumni are leaving soon, you need to hurry if you want to say goodbye to them!" Takumi shouted from across the garden.

"We'll be there in a minute Takumi, thanks for calling us!" Sõma shouted back, slightly annoyed at the interruption. "I… I guess we can talk afterwards, dad?"

"O'course, son. Let's just get inside for now, eh?"

* * *

Erina walked tediously behind her father, anxious to hear his explanation about, well… everything. After all, how could there be photos of her with her mother, father, as well as her idol Saiba-sama and his family, yet there be no recollection of their meetings. Something was definitely up, and the young blonde wanted to know what was going on. As soon as possible.

"Take a seat, Erina. Assuming you want to know everything, we're going to be here a while." Erina had noticed her father was using a much softer and… father-like tone than he had been the last time they had been together.

 _What happened to change his mind about me so fast?_ Erina was confused, to say the least, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel happy at his kind way of talking to her. It made the Nakiri heiress feel like she was really getting to see her father after, well; forever.

"Thank you, father. Can I ask how you knew I was coming to see you if you don't mind?" That was one detail the headmistress hadn't been able to figure out thus far. She hadn't explicitly told anyone she was going to see her father, yet somehow Azami himself had been expecting her. A parent's instinct, or was there more to it?

"Well, your grandfather had noticed that your schedule had been cleared for a few days, and decided to look into your flight records to check if there had been any urgent business you had needed to attend to. Of course, he saw you had been coming to the States, and decided to contact me in advance so I could prepare myself."

"Prepare for… what, exactly? I mean, there should be a pretty simple explanation for all this right? I don't remember anything about my mother, so none of those photos could be real. I mean, I couldn't have lost my memory or anything like that, of course?" Erina had said the last bit with a bit of a smile, inwardly laughing at the implausibility of such a situation.

Azami looked startled for a second, but quickly composed himself. Erina had noticed the slight change in her father's demeanour, but waited for the man to speak. After a moment, the black haired-chef spoke up, his voice soft and comforting. "Our family was once happy Erina. You, me and your beautiful and kind mother." Azami was holding something in his hands now, and looking closer, Erina saw the back of what looked like a photo frame. She could only guess who was in the photo. "We used to be incredibly close to another family, as I'm sure you saw in some of the photos. Saiba-senpai's family, to be precise. Your mother and senpai's wife hadn't known each other for very long, but were almost like sisters. Inseparable, actually. Even in death, they stayed as close as friends can be." He broke off there, almost like he was consoling himself before he carried on. Erina, however.

Erina was confused. Azami was speaking coherently, sure. But the 'story' of sorts he was telling was absolutely all over the place. Erina had no clue what he was talking about anymore! But she let him continue. Sensing this was a topic her father hadn't talked about in a while, the girl let him finish the story uninterrupted.

"I haven't spoken about your mother in a while. In fact, in a few months, it will've been ten years since Emiko and Akiko died. 10 years since the accident. And 10 years since our family fell apart. She… she really was that important to us, eh?" Azami had a wistful but also slightly guilty look on his face, and Erina couldn't help but wonder why. Regardless, she let her father continue once he was ready to keep talking.

"It was a year after me and Emiko graduated. Senpai had returned to Totsuki to meet with Senzaemon-dono, as well as Fumio-san and some others he hadn't seen since he left the academy just over two years prior. I had gone to see him with Emiko, eager to let senpai see who I had ended up falling in love with. To my surprise, he himself had found someone, and I had never seen him look so… content? It was like a new spark had ignited in him, which had fizzled away while he was still at the academy. We talked, and while we had expected there to be some communication between Emiko and Akiko, the two became friends almost instantly. There was almost some invisible connection between them, even though they were practically polar opposites."

Azami turned the frame he had been holding towards Erina, and the young girl gasped upon inspection of the photo. The woman she assumed to be her mother looked almost exactly the same as Erina, with flowing blonde locks and pointy sideburns very similar to the young princess'. Erina couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at how beautiful her mother had been, and looking over to the other people in the photo she noted how Sõma's mother was just as beautiful, even if she carried herself in a different way. Akiko too had shiny blonde hair, however, hers was cut a lot shorter, resting just below her shoulders. She wasn't dressed in particularly flashy clothes, but she looked stunning to Erina nonetheless.

"This photo was taken the first time our families met, in the Nakiri mansion, actually. Saiba-senpai and Akiko had planned to go back to their diner after meeting everyone senpai had wanted to at the academy, but Akiko and Emiko had struck up such a good friendship they ended up staying for a few days, with me and senpai left in shock quite frankly. Emiko had been one of the best chefs in our generation, while Akiko had come from her family diner. She was terrible at cooking, as even she was ready to admit, but the two just couldn't be separated." Azami looked at Erina now, and the girl could tell that her father had been wanting to tell her about this for a while. His gaze, however, was still just as soft as it had been before, and it warmed Erina's heart slightly to know her father still cared about her.

"After that, our families met up very regularly. Whether we visited Yukihira diner, or they visited Nakiri mansion, our families spent a lot of time together. 6 years passed after our graduation, and we had been visiting the diner on a Saturday night. Our marriages had happened one after the other, which was Akiko's idea. The four of us had been conversing as usual, with me, senpai and Emiko having a friendly Shoukugeki with Akiko as the judge. Then, Emiko and Akiko had gone upstairs, without saying why. Many minutes had passed, and me and senpai had gone to check on the two, worried something had happened. When we walked into the room both women were sat in however, they had been crying out of happiness with two positive pregnancy tests on the floor." Azami looked proudly at his daughter, then at the photo that Erina was now holding tightly in her hands, as Erina blushed at her father's sudden acts of love.

 _Is this what having a father is really like? Is this the bond Yukihira-kun has with Saibi-sama?_ Erina blushed at the thought of the two Yukihiras, annoyed that she had been thinking about the new First Seat once again. _This boy really is bad for my heart, isn't he? First, I crushed on Saiba-sama for God knows how long, and now I can't stop thinking about that stupid commoner. He's a COMMONER Erina! I need to get myself together._

"The two of them had been crying their eyes out like there was no tomorrow, and to be fair me and senpai weren't far from that. It hadn't been that long since the marriages, and we were all still finding our way in our relationships between cooking and travelling, and now children. To this day, those moments we spent in Yukihira diner that night have been the happiest I've ever been, and I'm sure Emiko would say the same to you, Erina." Azami stumbled somewhat, knowing full well the trauma he had put his child through after Emiko's death. He didn't know if his actions could ever be redeemed, but he wanted Erina to know the full story, and perhaps give him a chance for forgiveness.

"For nearly 6 years after you were born, our families stayed as close as we had been before. Perhaps we were even closer, thanks to the bond you and the young Sõma shared. You two, much similar to Emiko and Akiko, had been the best of friends. Challenging each other to Shoukugekis with your small utensils and beginner ovens, or seeing who could walk for the longest without falling over, you spent all the time in the world together." The man looked over to Erina again but was surprised to see his daughter, the cruel Ice Queen of Totsuki, flushed a very deep shade of red. Like, _incredibly_ red.

"For your 6th birthday, you, Emiko, Akiko and Sõma were going to be flying to America to trial food from some of the famous restaurants in the country. Your gift had already been long discovered, but me and Emiko had been very careful in not over-working you since you were still so young." Azami had lowered his voice slightly here, and Erina could hear guilt dripping out of his words like a leaking pipe. She was still terrified of her father due to what he had done to her, but she was starting to understand maybe there were reasons behind his actions. "The world knew about your talents, and chefs were eager to get you to try to critique their food. As such, you were seen as a valuable resource, so to speak. At least, in the eyes of some people." Azami was barely even whispering here, and Erina noticed his eyes were shut. Tightly. Almost like, he was reliving what he was telling her?

Erina didn't know what overcame her, but she reached out a hand and placed it gently on her father's fingers. She could tell this was difficult for the man as well, and she wanted to hear this story out to the end. She rubbed her fingers gently over his, in an effort to console her obviously distressed father.

"The… the plane you were on had been a public flight. All for of you were of course in first class, but it had been a civilian plane nonetheless. An explosive of some kind had been placed on board, in hopes to ground the flight close to take-off in order to… kidnap you. None of the staff had known about it, and around five minutes after take-off, it was detonated. Both Emiko and Akiko, knowing you and Sõma were still too young to understand what was going on, had clutched each of you in a brace position, with their bodies ready to take the impact when the plane crashed. And… it crashed. The… the police had made it fast enough to the scene to prevent the culprits from getting to you and Sõma, but it had been too late. The… the impact had taken too much out of both of them." The usually composed man now had tears streaming down his face, and Erina was honestly lost for words.

It… it had been her fault, hadn't it? That her mother and Sõma's mother had died. If she hadn't been given this stupid God's Tongue, no one would've paid any mind to either her or Sõma's family.

Her thoughts were cut short by her father's voice. "I know what you're probably thinking. But, you have to understand this could've happened regardless of whether you had the God's Tongue or not. The Nakiri name was as well-known back then as it is now, so people could have come after us anyways. Just, please Erina, don't blame yourself. I had foolishly believed it had been because of you back then, and all I did was cause you more pain. Please, please child. Don't take this out on yourself."

"Does… does Sõma know about all of this?" Erina was still trying to keep herself from completely letting her emotions out, but she needed to know. Had the redhead been lying to her all this time?

"Sõma was also hurt in the accident, so he doesn't remember the time our families spent together, that's for sure. Although, he has faint memories of his mother if I recall correctly, but that's about all."

"Thank you for this, father. I, I need some time alone. To think. So I will head back home now if that's alright with you?"

"I'll have a flight arranged. And Erina."

The blonde looked towards him, reluctantly.

"Take care of yourself. I'm sorry about what I have put you through, and I understand that my actions are unforgiveable. But I hope the best for you, and I know Emiko does as well. She always has."

"Th… thank you father."

The blonde left the room slowly, but as soon as the door shut, she was running, tears streaming down her face as they started to return. Slowly, but they were coming back.

Memories.

* * *

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're done. Told you it was slightly longer ;) But yeah, I hope you guys liked the way I've set things up so far. By the way, to clarify, Sõma hasn't been told about the accident yet, just that him and Erina met when they were a bit younger. That'll happen next chapter, and boy am I excited to get that one out for you guys. Anyways, that's been me, hope to see you in the next chapter x)

P.S.

Check out my other story for more SoRina mediocreness. It's called a Simple Love, and a new chapter should actually be up in the next few days :heart:


	5. Chapter 5

**Choices**

 **A/N** Okay, I won't give any excuses. I know its been a while, and to those of you who have stuck around, I can't thank you enough. Life has been really tough over the last few months, and because of the anti-anxiety medication I've been on lately its been really tough for me to do anything productive outside of the work I do in class. But, I have 2 weeks' worth of holidays now before final exams, and I want to continue this story as well as revising, so lets see how well I can balance all my work. Anyways, there'll be more at the end, so for now I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

* * *

A blank face. Held for an impressive fourteen hours and fifteen minutes straight. In the air hostess' seven years of serving the Nakiri family, never had she been so intimated of a passenger, especially not a teenager. But, she recalled, this was Nakiri _Erina_ we're talking about. A child prodigy in the cooking world, with so much pride it could back her prowess in culinary skills. The honey blonde girl wordlessly exited the jet, and the hostess noted how the young chef's head was held ever so slightly lower than usual, and how her hands were clenched into fists, tensing from time to time.

As Erina approached the car waiting at the feet of the steps leading down from the plane, her phone started vibrating in her pocket. She froze, composed herself, took out her phone, and answered, clearing her throat in an attempt to mask the raspy tone she had gained from crying. Erina was meant to be a tough young woman, and she would do as much as physically possible to keep up this image towards everyone, regardless of who they may be.

"Hello, this is Nakiri Erina speak-"

"Yo Nakiri, you're finally back!"

Erina didn't think her jaw had ever dropped as low as it was hanging right now. She had been expecting a call from another annoying client, or maybe Hisako or her grandfather, but overall, she hadn't been wanting to chat, which she thought had been made evident from her tone. Who she _hadn't_ been expecting was Sõma, but now that his all too familiar voice was ringing through her ears, the blonde had no idea what to say. In fact, she had been hoping to avoid any contact with the boy outright, at least until her head was clear and she thought she could face him. But, she was Nakiri Erina, and she refused to allow her strong demeanour to falter, even if in front of the redhead.

"Yukihira-kun, did you need something from me? I'm a bit busy at the moment, so-"

"Stop that, would ya? We both know we need to talk, Erina."

Spiky red hair, a small white armband, tiny blue outfits, and a small diner. People, places, objects, all things she didn't recognise but felt she should. Erina didn't know what had been triggering these 'flashbacks' so to speak, but they had been happening constantly since she had left her father's office back in America. Memories were being added to her brain, and she felt as though her childhood was being broken apart and reconstructed slowly, with experiences she had envied in other children being added on.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about Yukihira-kun." She solidified her tone, and decided to keep up this act. All these new memories, new feelings and emotions were unknown to her, and until she was comfortable with the notion that her childhood memories had been taken away, she refused to talk about them to anyone. Even the boy who had lost his memories with her. "And who said you could use my first name! You are a commoner, and you should know your place Yukihira-kun!"

"A commoner who's also the son of your idol, right Erina? A commoner who lost his mother right alongside yours, right Erina? A commoner who-"

* * *

 _Beep-beep-beep_

The redhead was in shock. _She cut the phone? After everything we both just learnt, she still wants to ignore me?_ Sõma was annoyed, but moreover, he was hurt. Since the start of their first year, the young chef had been constantly trying to get the Totsuki princess' approval, but to no avail. Even after helping her defeat her father, he had gained little to no gratitude. And while Sõma normally wouldn't have cared for such disrespect, after learning the close relationship the two had shared earlier in their lives, he had been hoping for at least the smallest hint of friendliness from the young blonde. But, who was he kidding. They were from two different worlds, and even after all the revelations, this truth couldn't be any clearer. He had tried for a year straight, with no visible progress. What would some memories change about that?

"Sõma-kun, a-are you alright?" The shy voice of his best friend, Tadokoro, took over his attention. "You… you look sad about something."

"Nah, I'm fine Tadokoro. You… you go enjoy with everyone else." He hated to do this to her, but frankly, he didn't know what else to say. He wanted to be alone, to try and come to terms with the fact that he had spent a majority of his childhood with none other than the young Nakiri heiress, and her cold attitude towards Sõma hadn't helped him one bit. "I… I need to be alone for a bit is all."

Without waiting for the bluenette to reply, the first seat walked off, back towards the garden. However, he had forgotten to take his phone with him, and Megumi looked down towards the screen when she noticed it flashing.

 _I'm sorry about what I said Sõma._

 _Can you at least reply?_

 _I said I'm sorry!_

The girl was confused to say the least, and this only increased when she saw who the texts were from. _Sõma-kun and Nakiri are on first name basis? I thought they hated each other?_ The girl also noted the three missed calls accompanying the texts, and now she was thoroughly baffled. What exactly had happened between the two? Was Erina the reason Sõma was looking so sad? _I want to help him, but wouldn't I just be annoying him? He said he wanted to be alone… maybe I should just respect that._ Megumi cared about Sõma, a lot, and seeing him so down made her want to help him. Her feelings for the boy had been confusing her a lot lately, and she really wanted to set them straight.

Steeling herself, she headed towards the garden. _There's no time like the present, Megumi._

* * *

It had been 20 minutes now. He hadn't replied to her messages, or picked up her calls. Hell, he hadn't even bothered to read what she had sent him. _Who does he think he is, ignoring me? A simple commoner, ignoring me, a member of the Nakiri family?_ But, she recalled, it was her fault he was ignoring her in the first place. _Guess I shouldn't have cut the phone…_

Staring absentmindedly out of the window, her thoughts were cut off when her phone, which she had been holding unusually tightly, started to buzz. Her heart stopped momentarily, as she had thought Sõma had finally decided to talk to her, but she was disappointed to see it was Hisako. _Since when have I been disappointed to get called by Hisako! This boy is really messing up my emotions._

"Hisako, how are you?"

"Erina-sama, I was so worried about you! Tadokoro-san only just told me you were replying to messages again. Why didn't you call me as soon as you landed?" The pink-haired girl was ever so slightly annoyed at her master/best friend. When she found out that while she had been pulling her hair out worrying about her friend's safety and wellbeing, her friend had actually been talking to Sõma, she had been a bit ticked off to say the least.

"Tadokoro-san? How does she know that I'm back? The only person I've talked to since arriving in Japan is Sõma-ku… I mean Yukihira-kun!" She had gone back over her words almost as soon as they left her mouth, worried that her aide would get the wrong ideas. _After all, I'm only using his first name because we knew each other a long time ago… That's definitely all there is to it!_

"Oh my, Erina, did I just hear you use Yukihira-kun's first name?" The voice Erina had been dreading to hear had rung through her phone's speakers, and now it was the blonde's turn to be annoyed. Severely annoyed. "Don't tell me there's more to your relationship than you're letting on, dear cousin." Alice's voice dripped with suggestiveness and Erina was getting irked incredibly quickly. She needed to talk to her aide, not her annoying cousin!

"Listen Alice, I don't have time for your fun and games, okay. I'd appreciate if you could give the phone back to Hisako now, I need to discuss something with her." Erina needed to sort out her situation with Sõma, and she figured the best person to talk to would be her aide. Definitely not her meddling cousin.

"So rude Erina." Alice pouted, at which Hisako started to giggle. "You need to lighten up, there's no way a _certain redhead_ will like you if you're always so uptight." And her sly tone was back, in full force too.

"WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!" Erina was blushing an incredibly bright red, and while she normally wouldn't have been fazed by her cousin's comments, recent discoveries about her shared past with the boy in question gave Alice's comments half a backing.

"Calm down, cousin, I'm only teasing. I'll give the phone back to Hishoko now." The silver haired Nakiri had had her fun and decided to lay off her cousin before she got seriously annoyed.

"Erina-sama, you were asking about Tadokoro-san. You see, she was with Yukihira-kun, but I saw him storm off, and Tadokoro noticed the missed calls you had left on his phone. As such, she thought it best to let everyone know you were back from your trip." Hisako was keeping up the formalities because she _was_ talking to her mistress, but she really wanted to know why her best friend had needed to so urgently talk to the redhead who, as far as Hisako was aware, had been nothing but an annoyance to her friend since they had met. _What had changed,_ the pinkette wondered.

"Listen Hisako, I just learnt a few things about my childhood and… my mother, but I think it'd be best if I explained in person." While the princess really wanted to tell someone about what she had just learnt, she thought it would be easier to explain if she could see her best friend face to face. The flashbacks or memories were still very much occurring, and the blonde didn't think she could live through another episode with no one there to comfort her. "The information involved Yukihira-kun, so I had wanted to discuss with him. That is all." Everything the young chef was feeling was foreign, and she really didn't want to dive any deeper into her emotions concerning the boy, at least until she had everything else figured out.

"Of course, Erina-sama. If you think that is best then I shall await your arrival. Do you have any idea how far away from the Polar Star dorm you are right now?" The alumni had left only a few minutes ago, and things were quickly wrapping up on the students' end as well. The aide was hoping her friend would arrive soon, or they'd have to talk at the Nakiri mansion.

"We're only around half an hour away, so we should be able to talk at the dorm. Could you tell Yukihira-kun that I will be arriving soon, because I really need to discuss some things with him."

"Of course, Erina-sama, have a safe journey." Hisako cut the phone, and released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Her best friend sounded fine, which was great because the medicinal chef's mind had been plagued with worry since she first found out Erina was planning to visit her father. However, it seemed the elder Nakiri had given her friend some important information about her upbringing, and Hisako was keen to help Erina in any way she could. As her friend, as her aide; anything. Hisako had been looking for a chance to repay Erina for all she had done during the Regiment de Cuisine, and this could be the perfect chance.

* * *

Megumi quietly walked towards the place she knew Sõma would be. Being the first real friend the redhead had made after transferring to the academy, Sõma had often confided in Megumi in the small greenhouse located in the dorm's garden. Megumi knew there were things Sõma hadn't told her, particularly about the boy's past, but the bluenette was always too scared to ask in fears the young chef would get offended at her pestering.

Shaking her head, she straightened before walking half-confidently into the greenhouse, noticing the First Seat sitting on the bench in the back of the garden. The way the moon shone into the greenhouse, with beautiful flowers lining every surface, Megumi saw the space in a new light and couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't come here at this time of night before. Sõma hadn't noticed the girl yet, so Megumi decided to speak up, in an attempt to catch his attention without alerting the boy who was clearly deep in thought.

"Hey Sõma-kun, you must really have a lot on your mind, huh?" Megumi said ever so quietly, trying her best not to disturb the tranquil atmosphere. She was here so the boy had a person to talk to, and shocking him would help no one. "You've been visiting this spot a lot more recently, haven't you?" Megumi had noticed Sõma's visits to the greenhouse had become much more frequent as of late, particularly during parties or when it was late at night; when he thought no one would notice.

"I just needed to think about some stuff, that's all." Unbeknownst to the girl, there was a pained expression on the redhead's face. He had taken insults and comments from many people over the years, but the fact that Erina didn't want to talk to him despite what the two had just learnt hurt him; a lot more than he had expected. And to top it all off, his father's words were still lingering at the back of his mind. Did he really like the blonde? Or was it just admiration for the girl and the desire to gain her approval?

The greenhouse had always been a safe haven of sorts for him, at least when the balcony was occupied by other people. He found the plants surrounding him and the warm moonlight comforting, and it allowed him to think. At least, it did most of the time. Right now, too many things were floating around in his head, and if anything, he was craving some of Ryoko's 'rice juice' to help him calm down. "You can head back in Tadokoro, I'll… I'll join you guys in a bit." Sõma was still facing away from the other student, in hopes that she wouldn't be able to see his face. He knew he wore his emotions on his sleeve, and right now he needed anything but his friend worrying about him.

"Nakiri-san called you after you left." Megumi had a hunch that Sõma's sudden outburst of sadness had something to do with the princess, and although it pained her that Sõma was thinking about the other girl so much, she still thought it best to tell him. "She sounded kinda annoyed that you weren't replying and stuff."

 _Of course she did, what else did I expect from the Totsuki princess._

Megumi had expected a reaction, but she didn't expect the boy's head to rise almost instantly upon hearing her words, and him to turn around with a huge smile on his face. Now she was hurting, and a lot at that. Things were coming together in her mind, and before Sõma could rush out of the greenhouse she lightly tugged at his arm, prompting him to stop and turn around. There were things she needed to say; so she could set her feelings straight once and for all.

"Sõma-kun, I… I need to tell you something. I… Ever since we met last year… I-"

"Tadokoro, can we talk later, if you don't mind? Everything's finally making sense, and I really need to talk to Nakiri." His brain was, once again, working at light speed as he thought about what he'd say to her, how their conversation would go, everything. He cared about the other girl a lot, he really did, but right now he needed to do something else, and he hoped she'd understand.

"Of… of course, Sõma-kun. Your phone is still inside… so yeah. I'm going to hang around here a little longer… so…" The girl had now turned away from the redhead, and she prayed to whatever god existed that he wouldn't pick up on the sudden rasp in her voice, or how she was bringing her hands up to her face, or the tears beginning to form around her eyes. She prayed, she prayed, she prayed, and when she finally turned around and opened her now moist eyes she noticed the boy was there no more, and Megumi was alone, with the moon basking a soft yellow light over the now empty greenhouse.

* * *

Okay, holyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy shit that took a while. I wrote this all today, so I'm hoping there aren't too many mistakes. I won't make any promises, but I should be able to start a new chapter tomorrow, so you should see another update very soon. Other than that, I hoped you guys enjoyed and stay tuned because Erina and Sõma will finally be meeting :)


	6. UPDATE

**UPDATE**

Hey guys, I know it's been... it's been a while. For anyone who's stuck around, I should have the next chapter up within the next few days (finally, I know) so stay tuned. Once again, I'm sorry for the delay, life was being life and I had probably a worse case of writer's block than Tsukada did while planning the shitstorm that was the Le Dessert epilogue series. Anyway, see you guys soon!


	7. Chapter 6

**A Much Needed Confrontation**

 **A/N** Please note, these notes are from when I'm **STARTING** the chapter, notes from when I've finished the chapter will be at the end :) So, its only been a few days since last chapter and I'm already working on the next one?! What am I, an actual dedicated writer :p Jokes aside, this is the much awaited meeting between our two main characters, and I hope I can do a decent job of keeping them close to their original characters. In terms of sticking to canon, this story is completely NON-CANON following the Central arc, as I thought that's where things went downhill in the manga. I don't plan to change Erina's mother's name, because I want to keep my story away from canon post-Central. Anyways, hope you enjoy :)

* * *

It was windy; incredibly so, in fact.

Erina had requested all the car windows to be lowered, so she could get a breath of fresh air after the _exhaustingly_ long flight. Now however, with the car moving at the pace it was, the headmistress was regretting her decision with every fibre of her being. She couldn't think at all! All she could do was focus on her breathing so she didn't freeze to death. Strong gusts of wind shook trees right to left almost violently, and the black limo was almost swaying due to its sheer force. She had just wanted to think! Reflect! Try and figure out what on earth she would say to the annoying redhead who was on her mind a lot more as of late!

But, with her mind as distracted as it was right now, she settled for once again trying to get more of her memories back. In the short time she had known about her lost past, the blonde had discovered simply closing her eyes and clearing her head; meditation, if you will; helped her add more pieces to the incredibly large puzzle that was Erina's childhood.

The headmistress was pulled out of her thoughts; rather abruptly, no less; by her door opening, and she heard the driver say they had arrived at the dorm. Trying her best to calm her _very_ annoying nerves, and the faint feeling of butterflies hammering against the walls of her stomach, the young chef stepped out of the car, straightened her skirt, and walked towards the doors of the student residence, head held high. She knew her confidence would instantly disappear once she saw Sõma, but she wanted to feel like her usual self, where she was most comfortable, for as long as possible.

* * *

Sõma didn't think he had ever run so fast in his life. For anything.

Once he had left the greenhouse, he hadn't looked back once. Now inside the dining room, which was only lit dimly since nearly everyone else had left to go to Marui's room, the first seat urgently picked up his phone and read over the blonde's messages. _How can she be angry at me! She cut the phone!_ Sõma thought in his mind, although he knew it was just the way she was.

Now the redhead was stuck in a dilemma. He could call the princess back, since she _had_ asked if he could reply to her messages, or he could try and figure out what he wanted to say to her first. He had learnt so much over the past few hours; finding out he shared a large portion of his childhood with the Nakiri princess and her family and being told by his dad that he had _romantic_ feelings for the girl. He didn't know what the more important issue was, but the thing that was bothering him most was: how to talk about the second piece of information.

The pep talk from his father had helped; a lot, actually; but he was still so scared. The chef had never had the time to care about feelings and relationships, and now he was finding out he had feelings for one of the most pursued girls in his year! He had no clue what to do. After much thought, he finally decided. With his finger hovering tentatively over the call button, he pushed down, determined to talk to the blonde girl, whether the outcome was favourable or not.

However, the boy didn't even get to bring the phone to his ear, because he saw the call had been disconnected. He was lost for words! _She_ had been the one who wanted to talk, not him!

"I… I think we need to talk, Sõma-kun…"

The redhead in question looked up suddenly, utter shock painted on his face. His eyes met hers and he knew there was no way he was getting out of this.

* * *

Aldini Takumi had always been against high school relationships. He had joined Totsuki with the intentions of learning more about the art of cooking so he could further improve his family's restaurant; he hadn't joined to crack on with girls. Plus, his _incredibly_ annoying fan club really didn't help too much.

However, when he had headed to the garden with the hopes of clearing his head after having a tiny bit too much of his friend's rice juice, he hadn't been expecting to find Tadokoro Megumi standing near the entrance of the greenhouse, looking absolutely beautiful. Slowly, carefully, he approached the bluenette, a stunned silence brought upon the blonde boy.

"Y… you know the party is going on inside, Tadokoro-san." Takumi didn't know why, but he found it quite annoying that his redheaded rival could call the girl Tadokoro, while he was using an honorific. Nevertheless, he maintained his formality as he got closer to the girl, and he could see dried tears surrounding her eyes. _Who on earth hurt her?_

"Oh Aldini-kun, I'll… I'll just be a minute. I guess I let Ryoko's rice juice get to me, huh?" Her voice was rougher than usual, and Takumi couldn't help but notice how she quickly rubbed at her now _very_ red eyes. _What happened?_

"Hey, you know friends are here to lis-ten." He exaggerated the syllables to try and lighten the mood, and the joy he felt when her eyes ever so slightly brightened, and the corners of her lips twitched upwards in what he could only describe as the single cutest thing. Ever. "There we go, smiling isn't that hard is it?" He pulled his mouth up in the most animated grin his normally deadpan face could muster, and this time she burst out laughing. _So beautiful…_

"Wh… what was that Aldini-kun?" the girl squeaked, sure she had misheard. _Did… did he call me beautiful? No… I must be imagining…_

"Ah, I'm sorry Tadokoro-san. I must've been thinking out loud." Cheeks tinted a _very_ red tint, the blonde said, "I… I think I'll head back in. Can't leave Isami hanging around forever now can I?" He forced himself to laugh, irritated at his previous words but he didn't think he'd be able to stick around and bear the awkwardness of the situation. "I hope you'll come back in soon, Tadokoro-san."

* * *

"I… I think we need to talk, Sõma-kun…"

Firstly, he didn't think he'd ever get enough of the honey blonde saying his name like that. Secondly, considering how she had all but ran (he assumed) from her car, her face had this… alluring flush that he didn't think he'd ever really seen before. Sure, _everyone_ at Totsuki knew that Erina was beautiful, but this was the first time he was really taking in her looks.

Her sideburns were cutely pointy as always, but her hair seemed longer than usual. He noticed how her uniform seemed uncomfortably tight, and thoughts that he _really_ shouldn't have been having flowed through his mind. _Focus, Sõma!_

"Yo, Nakiri. I didn't expect you to be coming to Polar Star. Uh… how was your trip?" He knew his attempt at making small talk was pathetic, but now that he was face to face with the princess, Sõma's calm and collected demeanour had all but disappeared. "Find out anything interesting?"

"You know very well why I went Yukihira-kun, and you should also know why I came to the dorms first." Sõma hated how she had gone back to using his surname. He hated how she had gone from being _kind_ to him for once to being as stern and stoic as she usually was. He hated how he couldn't find it in him to be just as rude to her because of how much he liked her.

"And here I was thinking we were both gonna keep quiet about all this. Well, there go my efforts at making small talk and pretending nothing happened," Sõma sighed exaggeratedly, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks yet again as he heard the princess giggle. _This has got to be unhealthy,_ Sõma thought as he stood up straight and looked at Erina properly for the first time since the final of the RdC. "I just… I just don't want things to change, y'know? If we have to leave this… situation undiscussed, I'm happy to do that. I'm scared we'll lose what we have, Erina."

She was slightly taken aback by his sudden change of tone, and she couldn't help but leave her gaze hanging slightly too long over his _incredibly_ sharp jawline. _Now's not the time, silly!_ Erina told herself as she looked back at the redhead. "Who said anything's going to change, S-õ-ma-kun?" The blonde was on her tiptoes now, and despite having not drunk any of Ryoko's rice juice yet, she felt more intoxicated and more daring than ever as she ran a soft hand over the boy's cheek. She revelled in the way the 1st seat seemed to shiver at her touch, how a soft breath escaped his mouth as he ran his tongue over his lips.

"Y… y'know Nakiri, you really shouldn't say dangerous stuff like that to me," Sõma almost growled as he clenched his fists in… annoyance? He wasn't too sure himself. "I'm gonna start getting feelings that are too deep to go back from, okay?"

"Why would you want to take them back, Sõma-kun? I… I just want to talk about us, our families. Whatever happens after that, happens," Erina finished decisively. She had avoided many issues with the redhead over the last year, but this was one she wanted to sort out, for better or worse.

* * *

Okay, I know, I know. I said I'd update soon and then I didn't update soon but at least I got one out. Can't make any promises about an update schedule, but I'll always be in the process of writing a new chapter so just hang tight. Other than that, R&R, hope you enjoyed, and I'll catch you guys later!


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